James N. Gamble, of the Procter and Gamble Company and a long time winter resident of Daytona Beach, bought this land on Spruce Creek for use as a rural retreat. Gamble Place is adjacent to Cracker Creek, and is surrounded by an associated 175-acre nature preserve.
Guests to Gamble Place can step back in time to experience the same pristine environment that James N. Gamble found so inviting during his first visit to the area in the late 1800’s. Included in the National Register of Historic Places, Gamble Place features a historic home, cottage, and Citrus Packing House. The “Florida cracker-style” house, named “Egwanulti” (a Native American word meaning “by the water”), was built in 1907, and used as a winter retreat.
The once privately-owned Citrus Packing House is the only one currently in existence in its original location in Florida -- a vanishing piece of history.
In a secluded niche of the Gamble property, a dense forest canopy envelops a charming log-style cabin. Known as the Black Forest Cottage, it is a near replica of the forest dwelling featured in the 1937 Walt Disney animated classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
In addition to the buildings, visitors can observe wildlife, ancient cypress trees and beautiful azalea blossoms.